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EOC Launches Online Training Module on Equal Opportunities

02/08/2011

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) introduced today (2 August 2011) a new online training module to assist parents and preschool teachers to instill the values of equal opportunities and inclusion in children at an early age.

“In today’s globalised world, discriminatory attitude can only impede one’s own development potential,” said Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, Chairperson of the EOC, at the launching seminar of the training module. “Interacting with people from diverse backgrounds builds interpersonal skills and expands future opportunities. Understanding and respect for others equip one to be competitive as a member of the global village. We must ensure that our children do not risk falling behind due to inadvertent or acquired prejudices.”

“Parents and teachers should be vigilant about discriminatory attitudes in their children, which, as some studies have shown, can be developed from a very young age,” continued Mr. Lam. “It is more effective to cultivate positive values in children and teach them about the negative effects of discrimination while they are still young.”

“To help parents and preschool teachers to promote education on equal opportunities, the EOC developed a printed version of a training module for preschool children in 1998. To keep up with recent developments, including the Race Discrimination Ordinance that came into effect in 2009 and the advancement in educational technology, the EOC commissioned the Child Education Centre for Teaching and Learning at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) to develop the new Online Training Module on Equal Opportunities for Children Attending Kindergartens and Child Care Centres,” said Mr. Lam. “We hope to encourage children to understand the concept of equal opportunities and its benefits for all.”

As a follow-up to this project, the EOC commissioned IVE to conduct a study on local preschoolers’ attitudes towards discrimination. The results show that many preschoolers have a negative impression of people with dark skin color and are reluctant to make friends with them. Nevertheless, after using the online training module, their prejudices have been lessened, and more preschoolers agree that “children with different attributes are good children.” The results indicate that the training module can help to promote equal opportunities among preschool children.

The Online Training Module on Equal Opportunities for Children Attending Kindergartens and Child Care Centres is focused on two themes: racial harmony and the elimination of disability discrimination. It also includes other elements of equal opportunities. There are interactive stories with animation to cater to different levels of preschoolers. When children read the stories, the training module allows them to make choices on whether the main characters should discriminate against others and learn the consequences of their choices accordingly. Furthermore, there are various online games and worksheets in the module designed to reinforce the messages of the training.

To facilitate the use of the training module by parents and teachers, teaching guidelines are included. Additional teaching tips and practical skills are provided for parents and teachers to cultivate positive values in children. The EOC urges all parents and teachers to actively use the training module and help children to understand equal opportunities.

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Equal Opportunities Commission
2 August 2011

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